The books you should read (pre-intermediate and intermediate level)
My students often ask me to recommend graded readers that would be both – captivating and easy to read. I decided to make a list of the books I would personally choose if I were studying English. All the books are accompanied by audio, which makes a perfect combination for developoing reading and listening skills.
Clicking on the title of the book will lead you to a webpage where you can download the book with the audio for free. Just click the read button “descargar”. You may need to register there first.
Pre-Intermediate level (1200 words)
1. Jane Austen “Sense and Sensibility”
Being a fan of Jane Austen I can’t help recommending to read this book. It is about two sisters who may seem to be very different. But they are looking for the same things – love, trust and a happy marriage.
2. Oscar Wilde “The Young King and Other Stories”
I believe that reading Oscar Wilde’s tales is a must for any person. They are the stories that make you think, feel and cry. They are meant to shake your emotional world.
Who doesn’t know The Beatles?
And who wouldn’t be interested in reading the story about the greatest band in the world!
4. Anne Bronte “The tenant of Wildfell Hall”
This book is a one woman’s fight againt many social conventions of the XIXth century.
Intermediate (1700)
1. Helen Fielding “Bridget Jones’s Diary”
How can one not feel sympathetic with Bridget? This character was made world famous by the film. Now you can relive the story in English.
2. Davis Evans “Management Gurus”
This book introduces six gurus of Management. They answer the questions like “How can I make more profit?” and “Why don’t people work harder?” Their ideas have had effect not only on business, but on politics, hospitals and schools, and everyday lifestyles.
3. Charles Dickens “Bleak House”.
It’s one of my favourite Deckens’s novels. It’s mysterious, tense, captivating, unpredictable and a true enjoyment to read.
4. John Grisham “The Street Lawyer”.
It is a treat for suspense lovers. “Michael is a successful lawyer when a homeless man attacks him. As Michal tries to discover who the man was, he uncovers a dangerous secret about the company he works for.”
Welcome to my group in VKontakte (a social network better than Facebook:)
In the group you’ll find more free graded books (pdf and audio), discussions in English and English materials added every day.
Hello, Anna.
Thank you very much. Your information always is really useful
That’s inspiring. Going to bookstore right now…
Hy Anna! Thanks a lot these books.
hiiii anna
how many books should i read in intermediate level ??
really thanxx for your information
Hello, Omer,
You should read graded books of intermediate level till the point when it becomes too easy for you. Then it’s time to move to the next level.
I finished reading some of those book when i was in college. I read about several famous stories by Charles Dickens’ fiction books, such as The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, The Adventures of Oliver Twist ,The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Hard Times, Great Expectations and so on…
Hi, Anna.. your site is very useful for developing like ours. We face less English books for learner. And we can’t buy books from other countries as courier charges is higher than book cost and total cost of books and courier charges are equal to half salary of normal B.A, Bsc degree holder employees. Moreover, we can’t get book with the level we want like inter, upper inter, etc…
Thank you so much…. 🙂
Hello, Hnin,
I’m happy to be able to help you.
Hi Anna, your site is really useful for English learners. I have a question for you about book. I started reading novel to expand my vocabulary knowledge but i am not sure reading novel or English level books is better for beginning. My English level is between upper int. and academic. thanks for your sharing…
Hello, Ibrahim,
Reading is always one of the best ways to expand your vocabulary. An important thing is to choose a book where you already understand 80% so that you could enjoy it. There are 2 ways of reading – extensive and intensive. When you read extensively you read a lot! but you don’t work on the vocabulary while reading. By reading intensively you work with one book for a certain period of time, taking notes and time to study the new words you came across. Both ways can be beneficial, it’s up to you to choose the most suitable one for yourself.
Hi Anna. Thank you a lot for all the resources you uploaded. I found them really helpful and shared with my students. I teach English at all levels and some Russian speaking students have contacted me recently asking if I could teach them English in Russian. I know Russian at an elementary level only and I have been learning some grammar rules and expanding my vocabulary by reading some modern novels. However, I find some of the grammar rules very confusing. I have come to realize that learning Russian was not a piece of cake) So what can I do to pick up this language quickly and efficiently? I would be really grateful if you could show me the way to learning Russian. Wish you big luck in all your endeavours!!!
i like this westside.Thanks very much